The Maple Leafs will pick No. 23 in the NHL draft later this month, if GM Brad Treliving does not trade the pick.
torontosun.com
Keep in mind that the player Treliving settles on, provided he does not trade the pick, after taking the advice of his scouting staff is unlikely to develop to the point that he can make a difference in the next few seasons. So while the Leafs need defencemen now, they’re bound to take the player, regardless of position, who they would call the best one available when their turn comes.
In the latter stage of the first round, that player could be big right-handed defenceman Charlie Elick (Brandon, Western Hockey League), winger Terik Parascak (Prince George, WHL), big winger Liam Greentree (Windsor, Ontario Hockey League), centre Sacha Boisvert (Muskegon, United States Hockey League), winger Nikita Artamonov (Torpedo, KHL) or winger Emil Hemming (TPS, Liiga).
Treliving could make an argument for trading the pick or keeping it. If Markstrom were the return, the Leafs would be getting a better goalie than anyone who is going to be available in free agency.
On the other hand, as much as Leafs Nation is excited about the potential in forwards Easton Cowan and Fraser Minten, Toronto’s prospect cupboard is not overflowing. It needs to be restocked, and keeping the first-round pick would help.
We’ll have our answer on at least one of Treliving’s decisions in less than three weeks.